Details

• Canada
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

If you are an EU citizen, you need to apply for an eTA. I flew to Toronto and from there I took a bus to Kingston. Regarding the university - choose your courses carefully and look into the professors and the syllabus. The courses can be completely different in structure. For example, I had one subject that was entirely asynchronous online (no real-time lectures, just materials uploaded to the website), another that was highly interactive with simulations in every class, and a third that was purely theoretical with minimal student interaction. Of course, make sure to coordinate your course selection with WU, so that your credits are recognised.

2. Accommodation

I found my place through Facebook and to be honest, it was pretty easy and there were many options available - that might be due to the fact that I was looking for a room during the summer term (their winter term actually) since at that time many Queen's students start their exchange as well and try to rent out their rooms. There was also an option to apply for a student dorm with a meal plan, but I chose to rent a room in a private student house with Canadian students. If you would love to be in the party centre, the so-called student ghetto is your place. If you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere, you can look for houses near the pier since they are in a calm area (especially in the winter) and are close to the university as well. Kingston is really safe. Although in some places you may see homeless people, they are not aggressive towards students and generally avoid the student area. Also keep in mind that it's a big advantage if your residence is near a supermarket or at least a shop, because in January temperatures drop significantly and carrying shopping bags in that weather for a long distance is freezing. Metro is one of the most preferred supermarkets and offers discounts for students.

3. Academic life at host university

I loved going to the campus and especially the Smith building. The university has two main libraries (Stauffer and Douglas), which are well-maintained and comfortable. Additionally, there are other options in the city centre, such as the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, where you can also go and study for free. You are expected to participate in most lectures and are required to have a sign with your name so the professor can call on you. A surprise to me was the fact that over the course of the semester, professors started to recognise me and knew my name. You could talk to most professors outside of class about everything (even topics not related to the university), and they are usually very friendly and approachable. I had courses such as COMM 221 - Introduction To Finance (recognised as Finanzwirtschaft), COMM 341 - Operations Management (recognised as BLP), COMM 305 - Introduction To Entrepreneurship, COMM 385 - Negotiation Theory & Behaviour and COMM 434 - Sales Management. I can recommend all of these courses, especially Sales Management with Jim Hamilton. Operations Management was the hardest of my courses with traditional written exams and a lot of calculations, but it was structured in a way that allows you to really see how the concepts are applied to the real world, and that made it interesting.

5. Every day life in the host country

The public transport was actually not bad for a small city like Kingston, but I preferred to walk around. It is very safe and there are many things to do. If you want to buy local or homemade products, make sure to visit the Kingston Public Market downtown. Contrary to my expectations, I actually enjoyed the winter and the tons of snow - it truly felt magical. People were ice skating on the frozen lake, and you get a real sense of what a Canadian winter means. I also had the chance to go on a ski trip to Québec, and it was unforgettable. On campus, there is a large free gym for students with a swimming pool. I attended different concerts, hockey games, and student activities. I highly recommend joining a recreation club. For me, it was the best place to meet interesting and open-minded people and to make new friends. I joined the Jiu Jitsu club and the Outdoors club, and we went on various trips together. It was an amazing experience.

6. Testimonial

My exchange was amazing, and I felt really sad when it was time to say goodbye to Kingston and my friends there. The people truly made the experience special - I made lasting friendships and had various unforgettable adventures. I had the opportunity to experience the North American college environment that we often see in movies, and I traveled across the beautiful country of Canada. I left with precious memories that I will always cherish.